Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-12-15

business CT the country. and too Extensive :
| conming,ing of their money thus fostering ar
| unnatural reliance in private business upon
public funds. If this scheme should be adopted
| it should only be done as temporary expedienl
| to meet an urgent necessity. Legislative and
executive effort should generally be in the op
| posite direction and should have 4 tendency Il
| divorce. as much and rs fast as can safely be
| done. the Treasury Department from private
| enterprise.
| or course it is not expected that unnecessary
and extravagant appropriations will be made FOL
the purpose OF avoiding the accumuiatio. OF an
excess OF revenue. Such expenditure, besides
the Decentralization of all just conceptions OF
public duty which it entails, stimulates habit
| OF reckless improvidence not in the least con
sistent with the missionsof our people or the
high and beneicent ideas of our Government.
Ihave deemed it my duty to thus bring to the
knowledge of my countrymen as well as to the
attention OF their representatives charged with
the responsibility of legislative relief the gray
ity Of our financial situation. The failure CT
Congress heretofore to provide against the
dangers which it was quite evident the very
nature OF the difficulty must necessarily pro-
duce, caused a condition of financial distress
and apprehension since your last adjournment
| which taxed to the utmost all the authority
and expedents within executive control; and
these appear now to be exhausted.
II disaster results from the continued mac
ton of Congress, the responsibility EluSt rest
where it belongs.
Though the situation thus far considered is
fraught with danger which should be fully real
lied. and though it presents a feature of wrong
to the people as well rs peril to the country, it
is but result growing out of a perfect ard ap-
parent cause constantly reproducing the same
alarming circumstances cOngcsted Natlonal
treasury and depleted monetary condition in
the business OF the country. 1t need hardly be
stated that while the present situation demands
a remedy we can only be saved from like pre-
dicament in the future by the removal OF its
cause.
Our scheme OF taxation, by means of which
this needless surplus is taken from the people
and put into the public treasury, consists OF q
tariff or duty levied upon importations from
abroad and internal revenue taxes levied upon
the consumption of tobacco and spirituous and
malt liquors. 1t must be conceded that none
of the things subjected to internal revenue tax
alton are, strictly speaking. nccessaries. There
appears to be no just complaint OF this taxation
by the consumers of these articles, and there
seems to be nothing SO well able to bear the
burden without hardship to any portion Of the
people.
But our present tariff laws, the vicious, in
equitable and illogical source Of unnecessary
taxation, ought to be ut once revised and
amended. These laws as their primary and
plain effort raise the price to consumers OF all
articles imported and subject to duty by pre-
csely the sum paid for such duties. Thus the
amount of the duties measures the tax paid by
those who purchase for use these imported
articles.
Many of these things, however. are raised or
manufactured in our own country, and the du-
ties now levied upon foreign goods and products
are called protection to these home manufac-
lures, because they render it possible for those
of our people who are manufacturers to make
these taxed articles and sell them for a price
equal to that demanded for the imported goods
that have paid customs duty. So it happens
that while comparatively few use the import
ed articles, millions Of our people, who never
use and never saw any of the foreign products,
purchase and use things Of the same kind made
in this country and pay therefor nearly or quite
the same enhanced price which the duty adds
to the imported articles.
Those who buy imports pay the duty charged
thereon into the public treasury, but the great
majority of our citizens, who buy domestic ar
ticles OF the same class, pay sum at least ap-
proximately equal to this duty to the home
manufacturer. This reference to the operation
OF our tariff laws is not made by way Of instruc-
ton. but in order that we may be constantly
burden upon those who consume domestic prod
ucts as well as those who consume imported
articles, and thus create tax upon all our
people.
1t is not proposed to entirely relieve the coun-
try of this taxation. 1t must be extensively
continued as the source of the Government
income. and in REIMBURSEMENT of our tariff the
interests of American labor engaged in manu-
facture should be carefully considered, as well
Az. 60 t.
may be called protection or by any other name,
but relief from the hardships and dangers of
our present tariff law should be devised with
especial precaution against ilnperiling the eX-
istcnce of our manufacturing interests. But
this existence should not mean a condition
which, without regard to the public welfare or
a National exigency, must always insure the
realization of immense profits instead Of mode
rately profitable returns.
AS the volume and diversity OF our National
activities increase. new recruits are added to
those who desire continuance Of the advan-
tages which they conceive the present,system of
tariff taxation directly effects. So stubbornly
have all efforts to reduce the present condition
been resisted by those of our fellow citizens
thus engaged. that they can hardly complain of
the suspicion, entertained to a certain extent.
that there existed an organized combination all
along the line to maintain their advantage.
We are in the middle of centennial celebra-
tions. and with becoming pride we rejoice in
American skill and ingenuity, in American en-
ergy and enterprise, and in the wonderful
natural advantages and resources developed by
q centurys National growth. Yet when an at
tempt is made to justify a scheme which per
mitS q tax to be laid upon every consumer in the
land for the benefit of our manufacturers quite
beyond a reasonable demand for Government
regard. it suits the purposes of advocacy to call
our manufactures infant industries, still need
ing the highest degree Of favor and fostering
care that can be wrung from Federal legisla-
ton.
1t is also said that the increase in the price
Of domestic manufactures resulting from the
present tariff is necessary in order that higher
wages may be paid to Our workingmen en-
ployed in manufactures than are paid for what
is called the pauper labor Of Europe. All will
acknowledge the force Of an argument which
involves the welfare and liberal compensation
of our workingmen. Labor is honorable in the
eyes of every American citizen; and as it lies
at the foundation Of our development
and progress, it is entitled, without
afrcctation or hypocrisy. to the Ut
most regard. The standard of our laborers'
life should not be measured by that OF any other
country less favored, and they are entitled to
their full share of our advantages.
By the last census it is made to appear that
of the l7.39!09a of our population is engaged in
all kinds of industries 7,610.493 are employed
in agriculture. 4,N4,a3S in professional and
personal service, (2,934S7j Of whom are do
mestc servants and laborers) while 1,S10,2j6
are employed in trade and transportation. and
1881, IL" are classed as employed in malutac-
turing and mining.
For present purposes however, the last rum
Der given should be considerably reduced.
Without ATTEMPTING to ecumerate all il will he
conceded that there should be deducted from
those which it includes, 80, 1i3 carpenters and
joiners, 2S5, 401 milliners, dressmakers and
seamstrcsSeS. 112,725 blacksmiths. 133, 156 tail
ors and taoresses, l0a.473 masons, 1924 butch
ers. 4l,3T9 bakers, 23,0S3 piasterers. 4,S9l en-